Feed for rotary box making machine



Oct. 19, 1965 w. F. WARD 3,212,772

FEED FOR ROTARY BOX MAKING MACHINE Filed July 16, 1962 4 Sheets-Sheet 1 a a o a no N INVENTOR William E Ward ATTORNEY Oct. 19, 1965 w. F. WARD FEED FOR ROTARY BOX MAKING MACHINE 4 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed July 16, 1962 INVENTOR William E Ward ATTORNEY 1965 w. F. WARD 3,212,772

FEED FOR ROTARY BOX MAKING MACHINE Filed July 16, 1962 4 Sheets-Sheet 3 INVENTOR William E Ward BY mm Z/wu ATTORNEY Oct. 19, 1965 w. F. WARD FEED FOR ROTARY BOX MAKING MACHINE 4 Sheets-Sheet 4 Filed July 16, 1962 IN VENTOR William E Ward BY Maw/U 7M ATTORNEY United States Patent 3,212,772 FEED FOR ROTARY BOX MAKING MACHINE William F. Ward, 1706 Kurtz Ave., Lutherville, Md. Filed July 16, 1962, Ser. No. 209,909 3 Claims. (Cl. 27132) This invention pertains to accurate feed mechanism for rotary box machines, and more particularly it pertains to a feed mechanism for injecting carton blanks at properly delayed intervals synchronously to revolving cutting drums.

Feeds for such purpose usually require reciprocating push members. In this invention a moving belt is used.

It is no problem to gear the belt to run at the surface of the cutting drums but the carton blank must not slip on the belt while it is being fed. It also must be released from a stack at a precise time and the succeeding blank held back until the proper release instant.

Accordingly, it is an object of this invention to provide a non-slipping feed mechanism for engaging the lowermost of a stack of carton blanks and accurately and synchronously delivering it to a cutting operation.

Another object of this invention is to provide a belt feeder for fiat articles which releases them at accurate times in sequence and transports them in predetermined attitude for further processing.

Yet another object of this invention is to provide a quick release mechanism for opening a hold-back gate on a stack of flat articles on a moving belt.

Still another object of this invention is to provide a valving system for a vacuum conveyor belt which paces the application of the holding force with the travel of the conveyed article.

And another object of this invention is to provide a feeder for a continuously moving belt conveyor of the suction type which does not engage an article from the underside of a stack until it is ready for movement.

Other objects and attendant advantages of this invention will become more readily apparent and understood from the following detailed specification and accompanying drawings in which:

FIG. 1 is a plan view of a rotary box making machine embodying features of this invention;

FIG. 2 is a sectional view, partly broken away, taken on line 22 of FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a perspective view of an adjustable gate and adjustable vertical board;

FIG. 4 is a vertical section view taken on line 44 of FIG. 1;

FIG. 5 is a perspective view of a rotary valve;

FIG. 6 is a detailed representation much enlarged of the trigger mechanism taken on line 66 of FIG. 1;

FIG. 7 is a cross-sectional fragmentary View of a pintle and trigger arrangement;

FIG. 8 is a vertical section showing details of a triggered gate; and

FIG. 9 is a fragmentary sectional view of the valve box and rotary valve.

Referring now to FIG. 1, an endless perforated belt 12 is shown located in the top center of a novel box making machine of this invention. A pair of adjustable vertical boards 14 position a stack, as indicated in FIG. 2, of corrugated carton blanks 16 directly on top of this belt 12.

Positionable vertical metal stack gates 18 extend downward to one carton thickness of the belt 12 on the front side of the stack. The lowermost blank of the stack is held back from passing under these stack gates 18 by one of more triggered gates 20 which can be rapidly toggled out of the way by a cam operated gate shaft 22 shown extending transversely of the belt 12.

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At the side frame 26 of the box making machine 10, this gate shaft 22 attaches to a trigger mechanism 24 which is tensioned and released suddenly in operation to give it a partial rotation forward and back.

When the gate shaft 22 kicks suddenly, the triggered gates 20 are thus removed from the path of the lowermost blank 16 which then moves with the belt 12 because of the force of applied vacuum from a valve box 28 beneath.

A rotary valve 30 in this valve box 28 rotates to apply vacuum beneath the blank 16 as it moves forward and discontinues drawing from the original point of application beneath the stack so that the next blank 16 is not held down.

With synchronized cutting drums '32, belt 12, and trigger mechanism 24, a carton blank 16 arrives at the knives of the drums 32 at exactly proper intervals for accurate, economical cutting.

With greater attention to the details of the invention, it will be noted from FIGS. 1, 2, and 3 that various lengths and widths of carton blanks 16 can be accommodated. The previously mentioned vertical boards 14 can be spaced and clamped with thumb screws 34 any- Where along the length of a support rod 36. In similar fashion, the stack gates 18 may be positioned.

Further back on the machine 10, an adjustable inclinable table 38 may be used to support long cart-on blanks 16 with elevated rear ends so that the front end of the lowermost blank will be intimately in contact with the perforated belt 12 and in position to slip under the stack gates 18. g

The machine 10 operates from a motor 40 which rotates a drive shaft 42 through a belted drive 44. As best shown in FIG. 4, a main spur gear 46 provided on shaft 42 meshes with drum drive gear 48 as Well as with a valve drive gear 50 which is provided on a shaft 74 attached to the rotary valve 30. The drum valve gear 48 engages with another drum drive gear 52 which rotates the cutting drums 32.

Another spur gear 54 meshes with the previously mentioned main spur gear 46. This spur gear 54 drives the perforated belt 12 through a toothed or other non-slipping cylinder means 56 at a speed equal to the peripheral speed of the cutting drums 32.

The belt 12 returns over an idler cylinder carried on a journalled shaft 58 as shown in FIG. 2. The top pass of the perforated belt 12 is arranged to move in contact with the top surface of the valve box 28. A vacuum pump 62 is connected by means of a conduit 64 to a chamber 60 of box 28 to maintain it at a negative pressure with regard to the atmosphere.

An opening 66 provided in the top of the box 28 underlies the forward areas of the carton blanks 16 just to the rear of the triggered gate 20 and extending the full width of the belt 12 as shown best in FIG. 9. Another similar opening 68 which lies beneath the belt 12 just forward of the gate 20 is also provided.

The previously mentioned rotary valve 30 is a hollow cylinder with perforated ends 70 as shown in FIG. 5. These perforated ends 70 allow communication of the hollow interior with the negative pressure chamber 60.

A longitudinal slot 72 communicating with the interior extends the full length of valve 30. Shaft 74 of valve 30 is journalled in pressure tight bearings (not shown) in the sides of the box 28.

As valve 30 rotates, it draws air from the openings 66 and 68 sequentially in the order named. With the application of vacuum to opening 66, the lowermost carton blank 16 is forced down by air pressure to the moving belt 12 and urged forward against the gate 20. At this time, the previously mentioned trigger mechanism 24 fires and moves the gate 20.

As the blank 16 moves under the gate 20 and extends over the box opening 68, the vacuum is shifted thereto and removed from opening 66. Thus, the carton blank 16 next-in-stack is not urged to travel while the predecessor carton blank is held to the belt and travels therewith without change of attitude or slippage;

The gate 20 as shown in FIG. 8 is arranged to toggle on parallel links 76 and 78 in a counterclockwise direction as indicated by the arrow and away from the forwardly urged carton blank 16. The plurality of gates 20 act as a unit, being secured together on a tubing member 80. A downwardly urged spring loaded finger 82 comprises the working edge of each gate 20. On the return stroke of the gate 20, this finger 82 rides the upper surface of the carton blank 16 without interfering therewith as shown by the phantom lines.

The operating force for actuating the links 76 carries through the previously mentioned forward and back partial rotation of the gate shaft 22 on which they are secured. The gate shaft 22 is pinned to a double ended crank arm 84 in the trigger mechanism.

As shown in FIG. 1, the upper lever 88 slides upon an arbor shaft 90 between two compression coiled springs 92 and 94. The former spring 92 abuts a stop flange 96 at the end of arbor shaft 90.

Another clevis block 98 abuts the return spring 94 and rests against adjustment nuts 100 on the other end of the arbor shaft 90.

The clevis block 98 is pivotally attached to the upper end of a lever 102, which, in turn, is pivoted intermediate its ends on a pintle 104 set into the side frame 26 of the machine as best shown in FIG. 7.

A lower lever 106 of crank arm 84 is pivotally attached to a trigger 108 having a notch 110 provided therein. This notch 110 normally is held by a tension spring 112 against a square edged abutment 114 raised from the surface of lever 102 near its pivot point on pintle 104.

A cam 116 is keyed to the shaft 74 of the rotary valve 30. A cam follower 118 provided on the lower end of lever 102 is urged by spring 120 to bear against the cam 116. When a-lobe 122 on the latter engages with the cam follower 118, the lever 102 is caused to rock about its pintle. Since the crank arm 84 is restrained at this time from movement by the notch 110, the coil spring 92 is compressed as the'arbor shaft pulls to the left through the clevis block 88. I

With continued movement of lever 102, a pin 124 thereon swings downward to engage the trigger 108 and dislodge its notch 110 from the abutment 114. As a consequence, there is a rapid partial rotation of the gate shaft 22 under the urging of the compressed coil spring 92, thus performing the previously mentioned moving of the gate 20 with great rapidity.

The cam 116, aided by the return spring 94, then moves slowly re-positions the lever 102 which pushes the crank arm 84 to its original position to re-latch the trigger 108 and restore the gates 20 for another cycle of carton blank release.

Obviously many modifications and variations of the present invention are possible in light of the above teachings. It is, therefore, to be understood that within the 4 scope of the appended claims the invention may be practiced otherwise than as specifically described.

What is claimed is:

1. Mechanism for feeding flat objects from a stack thereof, comprising a moving belt having apertures therein, structure defining a feed position for said stack of objects with respect to said moving belt, means releasing the lowermost object from said stack thereof, and vacuum attachment means including (a) a vacuum box positioned beneath said moving belt and having a pair of separate chambers, one communicating with the underside of said moving belt at the feed position thereof and the other communicating with said underside downstream from said feed position,

(b) a vacuum source, and

(c) a rotary valve member consisting of a hollow cylinder having its'lateral surface in sealing-off relationship with respect to the chambers of said separate chambers and with respect to said separate chambers and said vacuum source, with said cylinder having openings in its ends for communicating its interior with said vacuum source and having a longitudinal slot in its lateral surface communicating said interior with said separate chambers sequentially upon rotation of said cylinder in the direction of said moving belt, whereby upon said rotation, the vacuum from said vacuum source sequentially communicates with said lowermost object through the apertures in said moving belt, first in the feed position to effect withdrawal of said lowermost object from said stack of objects and then downstream therefrom to effect conveying of said lowermost objects along said moving belt.

2. The mechanism for feeding fiat objects as recited in claim 1, wherein said sealing-off relationship is obtained by each said chambers having an opening terminating against said lateral surface of said rotary valve member.

3. The mechanism for feeding fiat objects as recited in claim 1, wherein said vacuum box has an additional chamber continuously maintained at a negative pressure by said vacuum source and said rotary valve member is journalled within said additional chamber so as to maintain communication thereof with said interior of said rotary valve member through said openings in the ends thereof.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,077,399 11/ 13 Droitcour.

1,162,658 11/15 Schylander et al. 101233 2,704,209 3/55 Halahan et al 271--29 X 2,852,255 9/58 Fischer 271-35 X 2,902,280 9/59 Shields 27144 v3,034,7 84 5/62 Lopez 27129 3,035,695 5/ 62 Buchwald et al. 209-82 ROBERT B. REEVES, Primary Examiner.

ROBERT A. LEIGHEY, WILLIAM B. LA BORDE,

Examiners. 

1. MECHANISM FOR FEEDING FLAT OBJECTS FROM A STACK THEREOF, COMPRISING A MOVING BELT HAVING APERTURES THEREIN, STRUCTURE DEFINING A FEED POSITION FOR SAID STACK OF OBJECTS WITH RESPECT TO SAID MOVING BELT, MEANS RELEASING HTE LOWERMOST OBJECT FROM SAID STACK THEREOF, AND VACUUM, ATTACHMENT MEANS INCLUDING (A) A VACUUM BOX POSITIONED BENEATH SAID MOVING BELT AND HAVING A PAIR OF SEPARATE CHAMBERS, ONE COMMUNICATING WITH THE UNDERSIDE OF SAID MOVING BELT AT THE FEED POSITION THEREOF AND THE OTHER COMMUNICATING WITH SAID UNDERSIDE DOWNSTREAM FROM SAID FEED POSITION, (B) A VACUUM SOURCE, AND (C) A ROTARY VALVE MEMBER CONSISTING OF A HOLLOW CYLINDER HAVING ITS LATERAL SURFACE IN SEALING-OFF RELATIONSHIP WITH RESPECT TO THE CHAMBERS OF SAID SEPARATE CHAMBERS AND WITH RESPECT TO SAID SEPARATE CHAMBERS AND SAID VACUUM SOURCE, WITH SAID CYLINDER HAVING OPENINGS IN ITS ENDS FOR COMMUNICATING ITS INTERIOR WITH SAID VACUUM SOURCE AND HAVING A LONGITUDINAL SLOT IN ITS LATERAL SURFACE COMMUNICATING SAID INTERIOR WITH SAID SEPARATE CHAMBERS SEQUENTIALLY UPON ROTATION OF SAID CYLINDER IN THE DIRECTION OF SAID MOVING BELT, WHEREBY UPON SAID ROTATION, THE VACUUM FROM SAID VACUUM SOURCE SEQUENTIALLY COMMUNICATES WITH SAID LOWERMOST OBJECT THROUGH THE APERTURES IN SAID MOVING BELT, FIRST IN THE FEED POSITION TO EFFECT WITHDRAWAL OF SAID LOWERMOST OBJECT FROM SAID STACK OF OBJECTS AND THEN DOWNSTREAM THEREFROM TO EFFECT CONVEYING OF SAID LOWERMOST OBJECTS ALONG SAID MOVING BELT. 